Written by Stawomir Mrozek
Review by Marina Funcasta
Charlie and Striptease are put in conversation in this Absurdist double-bill which takes it shape in the back room of the Golden Goose Theatre in Clapham. A grey, run-down building, the pub itself retains a raw dinginess which Slawomir Mrozek’s pieces, especially Striptease, take for their natural habitat. But it is not for the reason of the space alone that Mrozek’s stories left such a strong impression.
The first was Karol, or Charlie, an amusing (if insidious) story about an optician who, upon being visited by two of his patients, finds himself losing his own sight. During the appointment, guns and glasses become material manifestations of the menacing power dynamics in the room. As unsettling as they become, the props are deployed effectively. At first, they emerge comically. The gun is wielded well by Grandad, played by Kenneth Michaels: entering the room essentially ‘blind’, Michaels gropes his way around the set in an earnestly, careful not to distract from the main action all the while providing the scene with a volatile, searching resonance.
Rowland D Hill, who plays the Doctor, is also notably vulnerable without his glasses: performing a set of politically dense monologues defending his right to his ‘private property’, it is here that we realise the class warfare underscoring the platitudes of the appointment. The effect is disarming, as Hill’s delivery teeters from awkward and apologetic to desperate and furtive. Generally, Hill provides a slick and controlled performance, which is substantial reason for their success. In Striptease, he cleverly metamorphosises into a nondescript, anxious businessman, intent on protecting his ‘inner freedom’. Simon Brandon also impresses in Striptease: clearly at ease in the silences, Brandon’s growing, explosive bouts of frustration fell well in the canon of irascible working-class characters, specifically reminding me of Gus from The Dumb Waiter. Both actors capture a sense of genuine emptiness which seem to have been a condition for Mrozek’s time. And, perhaps, our own.
It seems, according to the program, that Nagy wss keen to underscore these scripts’ pertinence today. To be sure, there is a relatability in the apparent embattled relationships we witness between the characters: their emotional distance is not even eased by the comedy, which Mrożek’s writing tends towards. In fact, the oscillation between mockery and nostalgia evokes a sense of disquiet. This is because I worry the deflecting mechanisms we see Mrozek’s characters use to cope with their anxieties about the future are not all too dissimilar from those a lot of us use today.
This is exemplified in a scene towards the end of Striptease, where we hear Hill rid himself of the feelings of shame and guilt. The ease with which this is performed is perhaps a tad understated, but the effect is still alerting and disarming. By the end of the double bill, the energy in the room is certainly explosive: Nagy does justice to her Absurdist forefather in providing her pub-theatre audience with a reminder of the history we come from, and an insight into a future we may be approaching.
Explosive, Alerting, and Disarming
Charlie and Striptease runs at The Golden Goose Theatre, London until May 9th
Running time: One hour and forty-five minutes with one interval
Photo credit – Paddy Gormley
Review by Marina Funcasta (contact@corrblimey.uk)
Marina is halfway through an English literature degree at Edinburgh University, wherein she has been (considerably) involved in the drama scene: enjoying performing with their Shakespeare Company shows, but also modern takes on Arthur Miller. However, Marina’s interests are wide-ranging under the theatre genre – enjoying abstract, more contemporary takes on shows (with a keen interest in Summerhall)
